Process for the treatment of ores and solid salts by electrochemical reduction.



ADRIEN ARMANI) rnoonss FOR 'rnn'rn'narnnivror MAURICE HANBIOT, or rams,FRANCE.

cans Ann 'somn SALTS YnLncTnocnn -IcAL Patented Nov. 26,1918.

REDUCTION.

1,285,690. 'Specification of Letters Patent.

No Drawing.

the Treatment of Ores and Solid Salts by Electrochemical Reduction; andI do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

It is known to separate metals in a pure state from certain of theirsalts by treating the latter with an electric current. Thus, forinstance, a great salts and some salts brought into the liquid state byfusion, may be subjected to the action of the current.

In all cases, however, Where solid bodies have been treatedelectrolytically, compounds and alloys adapted to be used as anodes wereonly treated. Thus, for instance, electrolysis has been used inconnection with the refining of lead and copper,

and has permitted of obtaining chemically pure metals. In all theseprocesses, how-' ever, the anodes were constituted by plates of animpure metal and the purified metal was conveyed to and deposited uponthe cathode.

These processes are not all suitable for the treatment of solid salts.These cease being applicable as soon as the material to be treatedcannot be used as an anode. This is the case with most insoluble andundissolved salts which constitute the major portion of natural ores,from which pure metals could not be extracted by the hitherto knownelectrolytical methods.

The present invention relates to an electrical treatment which,contrarily to t e usual electrolysis, may be applied direct y to an ore,and possesses, in comparison with the electrolysis, this other essentialdistinc tive feature that the metal obtained instead of being conveyedthrough the bath from one electrode to anot er as in the knownprocesses, remains in this bath at the place which was formerly occupiedby the ore.

This process consists broadly in placing the ore or the solid salt to bedecomposed, in a suitable conducting bath, in contact with the cathode,and in passing a current therethrough. The ore is converted into aApplication filed May 18, 1914.

numb er of dissolved I Serial No. 839,299.

metal I without any dissolution, and this metal takes the place of theore.

The cathode is preferably constituted by a horizontal plate having anappropriate shape, upon which the ore is placed, the anode being of aneutral nature. A few examples will follow, showing how the process maybe carried into effect.

Example I: Silver chlorid is deposited upon a horizontal plate servingas a cathode, above which there is forming the anode. The bath isconstituted by a solution of carbonate of soda. A current at a lowvoltage, about 4 volts, is passed through the said bath. Under theaction of the current, the ore is converted into a mass of metallicsilver which remains on the cathode; the liberated chlorin is dissolvedforming hypochlorite.

Example II: The galena also treated by a current at a low voltage, inthe presence of diluted sulfuric acid is converted into metallic lead,while at the anode sulfur and hydrogen sulfid is obtained.

Example III: Malachite or copper silicocarbonate acted upon by theelectric current under the same conditions, in a bath of potassiumchlorid, will produce copper, remaining on the cathode, and carbonicacid and silica which will be found'on the anode. Example IV: Cinnabaris similarly converted into mercury and sulfur forming a littlesulfureted hydrogen, in a bath containing sodium chlorid and a littlecarbonate of soda.

Generally speaking, the nature of the bath is of importance and in thecase of certain ores it must be selected according to the nature of theore in question, as it follows from the preceding examples.

It is obvious that the details of the execution of the process may varywithout afiecting the principle of the invent-ion.

I claim:

1. The process of obtaining the metallic constituents from metalliferousmaterials, which consists in placing the metalliferous material incontact with the cathode in an electrolytic bath and passing an electriccurrent through the bath, which current is of such voltage that themetalliferous material will be converted into pure metal at the cathodeand a non-metallic constituent will be collected at the anode.

2. The process of obtaining lead from lead-ore, Which includes leadsulficl, Which consists in placing the ore in contact with the cathodein an electrolytic bath, of dilute sulfuric acid and passing an electriccurrent of such density through the bath as to con vert the ore at thecathode into pure lead and to cause the collection of sulfur at theanode.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature 1n presence of two Witnesses.

ADRIEN ARMAND MAURICE HANRIOT. Witnesses:

HANSON C. Coxn, ENRIK KLOP.

Copies of this} patent may be obtained for five cents each, byaddressing the Gommissioner of Patents. Washington, I). C.

